52852: Is it permissible to distribute zakaah on a monthly basis? Can it be converted into food?

We are in Indian city of new Bombay, in our village muslims are in majority we collect the Zakat in Ramadhan and then distribute whole year among poor in the form of money and food stuff. Is it sharia allow this?.

Published Date: 2004-11-23

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly:

It is not permissible to give zakaah on wealth or zakaat
al-fitr to kaafirs, and it is not permissible to give zakaah to any kaafir
except the one who is inclined towards Islam, in the sense that you hope
that he will become Muslim if you give him zakaah.

Once zakaah becomes due on wealth, it must be paid
immediately, and it is not permissible to delay it.

Ibn Qudaamah al-Maqdisi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

If he delays it – i.e., zakaah – in order to give it to one
who is more entitled to it among his relatives, or to one who is in great
need, if it is a small amount there is nothing wrong with that, but if it is
a large amount, it is not permissible.

Al-Mughni, 2/290

The scholars of the
Standing Committee were asked about an organization which collects zakaah
from the rich then delays distributing it for a year, on the grounds that
there is help in the springtime, help in Ramadaan and so on. What is the
ruling on this delay, since the owners of the wealth have discharged their
duty of paying zakaah and have given it to us (to distribute)?

They replied:

This organization should
distribute the zakaah to those who are entitled to it and not delay it if
they have found people who are entitled to it.

But on occasion it may be more useful not to give the zakaah
to a poor person in one go, so that he will not spend it all and be left
with no money; in that case he may be given something each month.

In this case you should discuss the matter with the rich, and
collect zakaah from them a year ahead, then give it to the poor in monthly
installments, or take it from the rich ahead of time in installments and
give it to the poor in monthly payments. Then it will not be delayed after
it has become obligatory. This requires discussing it with the rich and
convincing them of the good purposes that will be served by that.

Ibn Qudaamah al-Maqdisi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

Ahmad said: It is not permissible to give zakaah to his
relatives in monthly installments, i.e., he should not delay paying it so
that he can give it to them in separate amounts, giving them something each
month. But if he pays it all to them ahead of time, or to others in separate
payments or all at once, that is permissible because it is not being delayed
from its time.

End quote from al-Mughni, 2/290

The scholars of the Standing Committee were asked:

Is it permissible for me
to pay my zakaah in advance for the whole year, in the form of regular
payments to a poor family each month?

They replied:

There is nothing wrong with giving zakaah before one full
year has passed, one or two years in advance, if a good purpose will be
served by that, and it is given to a deserving poor family on a monthly
basis.

Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah,
9/422

With regard to giving
zakaah every month in the form of food, please see question no.
45242 .